Title Loaded From File Mammary gland. During gestation,Dietary Protein and Mammary Gland MetabolismFigure 3. The genes and proteins involved in lipogenesis in the mammary gland of dams fed different proportions (10/73, 20/63 or 30/53 1317923 ) of dietary protein/dietary carbohydrate (DP/DCH) during gestation and lactation. (A) The relative mRNA levels of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). (B) Representative immunoblot of FAS and actin. (C) Western blot densitometric analysis of FAS/ACTIN. Values are the mean 6 SEM of three different blots. n = 5. *p,0.05, ***p,0.001. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0069338.gthe expression of the sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1), a key transcription factor involved in fatty acids biosynthesis, was slightly increased. Conversely, during lactation, SREBP1 was dramatically increased by 5000 fold (Fig. 3a). Fatty acid synthase (FAS), the target gene of SREBP1, also showed a Title Loaded From File dramatic increase in mRNA and protein abundance during lactation (Fig. 3a, b, c). Although we find a significant increase in FAS mRNA levels in the 10/73 DP/DCH group, we did not find significant differences in protein abundance among the three groups indicating that the response was independent of the proportion of DP/DCH. The highest expression of these lipogenic genes occurred at day 12, during the peak of lactation in which we did not find significant difference in mRNA levels and protein abundance 1315463 among the three groups. Interestingly, we observed significant differences in the expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) on day 5 of lactation as the amount of DP increased (Fig. 3a).DP/DCH. After delivery, CPT-1 expression rapidly decreased at day 5 of the lactation period (Fig. 4a), indicating that a highprotein/low-carbohydrate diet (30/53 DP/DCH) exceeds the amino acid requirements during gestation but not during lactation. In addition, the expression of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) significantly increased during gestation in the rats fed 30/53 DP/DCH reaching its maximal peak of expression on day 5 of lactation and then rapidly decreased on day 12 of lactation (Fig. 4b).Expression of Genes Involved in Lipogenesis and Protein Synthesis in the Liver and Adipose Tissue did not Increase in a Similar Manner to the Mammary GlandWe did not know whether these adaptations observed in the mammary gland occurred in other organs during the gestation and lactation periods. During gestation and lactation, the liver of rats showed a different pattern of expression of metabolic genes compared to the mammary gland. Glycolytic (PK) and lipogenic (FAS) enzymes and SREBP1 were highly expressed after the consumption of a low-protein diet, most likely due to the composition of the diet that was 10 protein and 73 carbohydrates. However, during the consumption of adequate proportion (20/63 DP/DCH) or high proportion of protein (30/ 53 DP/DCH) diets, the expression of these genes remained constant (Fig. 5a). Similarly, protein abundance of FAS was higher in the group fed 10/73 DP/DCH than those fed 20/63 or 30/53 DP/DCH (Fig. 5b,c) The elevated expression of lipogenic genes in the liver of rats fed 10/73 DP/DCH wasAn Excess of DP Increased CPT-1 mRNA Expression in the Mammary Gland only during GestationWe then explored whether the consumption of different proportions of DP/DCH could change the expression of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation. Our data sh.Mammary gland. During gestation,Dietary Protein and Mammary Gland MetabolismFigure 3. The genes and proteins involved in lipogenesis in the mammary gland of dams fed different proportions (10/73, 20/63 or 30/53 1317923 ) of dietary protein/dietary carbohydrate (DP/DCH) during gestation and lactation. (A) The relative mRNA levels of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). (B) Representative immunoblot of FAS and actin. (C) Western blot densitometric analysis of FAS/ACTIN. Values are the mean 6 SEM of three different blots. n = 5. *p,0.05, ***p,0.001. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0069338.gthe expression of the sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1), a key transcription factor involved in fatty acids biosynthesis, was slightly increased. Conversely, during lactation, SREBP1 was dramatically increased by 5000 fold (Fig. 3a). Fatty acid synthase (FAS), the target gene of SREBP1, also showed a dramatic increase in mRNA and protein abundance during lactation (Fig. 3a, b, c). Although we find a significant increase in FAS mRNA levels in the 10/73 DP/DCH group, we did not find significant differences in protein abundance among the three groups indicating that the response was independent of the proportion of DP/DCH. The highest expression of these lipogenic genes occurred at day 12, during the peak of lactation in which we did not find significant difference in mRNA levels and protein abundance 1315463 among the three groups. Interestingly, we observed significant differences in the expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) on day 5 of lactation as the amount of DP increased (Fig. 3a).DP/DCH. After delivery, CPT-1 expression rapidly decreased at day 5 of the lactation period (Fig. 4a), indicating that a highprotein/low-carbohydrate diet (30/53 DP/DCH) exceeds the amino acid requirements during gestation but not during lactation. In addition, the expression of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) significantly increased during gestation in the rats fed 30/53 DP/DCH reaching its maximal peak of expression on day 5 of lactation and then rapidly decreased on day 12 of lactation (Fig. 4b).Expression of Genes Involved in Lipogenesis and Protein Synthesis in the Liver and Adipose Tissue did not Increase in a Similar Manner to the Mammary GlandWe did not know whether these adaptations observed in the mammary gland occurred in other organs during the gestation and lactation periods. During gestation and lactation, the liver of rats showed a different pattern of expression of metabolic genes compared to the mammary gland. Glycolytic (PK) and lipogenic (FAS) enzymes and SREBP1 were highly expressed after the consumption of a low-protein diet, most likely due to the composition of the diet that was 10 protein and 73 carbohydrates. However, during the consumption of adequate proportion (20/63 DP/DCH) or high proportion of protein (30/ 53 DP/DCH) diets, the expression of these genes remained constant (Fig. 5a). Similarly, protein abundance of FAS was higher in the group fed 10/73 DP/DCH than those fed 20/63 or 30/53 DP/DCH (Fig. 5b,c) The elevated expression of lipogenic genes in the liver of rats fed 10/73 DP/DCH wasAn Excess of DP Increased CPT-1 mRNA Expression in the Mammary Gland only during GestationWe then explored whether the consumption of different proportions of DP/DCH could change the expression of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation. Our data sh.